Practicing the Art of Mindful Living in Community

We practice mindfulness to become more calm, alive, genuine, and to extend greater understanding and compassion.

WHAT IS MINDFULNESS MEDITATION?

Mindfulness is the ability to be present without any judgment. The breath is a powerful tool that helps us become present. Simply by noticing how our breath feels in our body or even counting our inhales and exhales, we are present! When our thoughts wander away from our breath – which is completely normal – we gently bring our thoughts back to our breath. At that moment when you notice your mind has wandered, you are also being present. This is the practice of mindfulness. When we sit, or lie down, and spend any period of time – 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 20 minutes - focusing on our breath, this is mindfulness meditation.

When practiced often, the benefits of mindfulness meditation include creating the space and freedom we need in order to choose how we respond to the events in our daily lives. We practice to strengthen our ability to be present when we are in a safe and calm environment, which makes a difference in reducing levels of stress and anxiety. Then we really start to cultivate a life of well-being and understand our unconscious motivations when we face difficult times or difficult people. Rather than immediately going to a place of fight or flight, we use our mindfulness practice and remain present, which allows us to manage the stress much more effectively.

Deep River Sangha practices in the tradition of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (Plum Village) and is committed to offering mindfulness meditation practices that are open to all. We created this Sangha – which is simply a group of people who wish to practice together as a community – to give people a venue where they can practice in a safe and comfortable environment among like-minded people. It is especially designed to be easy, gentle and relaxing. We welcome you to come and give it a try.